Glacial Landforms as Geodiversity Resources for Geotourism in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Andrea Coronato,Flavia Flores Barrera,Soledad Schwarz

doi:10.2478/quageo-2022-0001

Abstract

Abstract The southern extreme location and the natural landscapes, highly modelled by glaciers during the Quaternary period, give Tierra del Fuego a unique opportunity to attract visitors worldwide. Its glacial landforms are geodiversity resources that are witness to global climate changes as natural processes. Therefore, this study aims to highlight different glacial landforms considering their geodidactic potential for educational information in terms of geographical study. Sixteen georesources connected by routes are analysed, using bibliographic research, fieldwork and a datasheet designed ad-hoc. Four of them were formed during middle Pleistocene glaciations and the other twelve during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), out of which two also represent the Holocene, which happens to be the youngest glaciation.

Highlights

Almost half a million visitors travel long distances each year to visit Tierra del Fuego
The glacial landforms offer different geodidactic functions, such as the possibility to learn about different morphogenetic processes and about climatic and environmental changes that occurred in the middle Pleistocene as ancient glaciations, late Pleistocene as Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Holocene-centennial glaciations as the youngest ones
Four landforms correspond to the middle Pleistocene period whereas twelve to the LGM, two of which include the youngest glaciations. 37.5% of the georesources represent erosional features, 37.5% are depositional and the other 25% depict both

Summary

Introduction

Almost half a million visitors travel long distances each year to visit Tierra del Fuego. Among its biotic and abiotic resources, different glacial landforms outstand and offer an opportunity to learn about global climatic changes along with the natural history of the area, since they are inactive geomorphosites that testify past processes (Reynard 2004, Diolaiuti, Smiraglia 2010) These features have a geodidactic potential, currently they only serve as the scenery of tourist experiences (Schwarz 2019). In this sense, geotourism comes out as an alternative way of tourism that focuses on the understanding of geological and geomorphological aspects of a territory by providing services and facilities for interpretation under the scope of Earth Sciences (Hose 1995).

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